Mindy Thompson of Thompson-Haugen Jewelers of Blue Earth says every wedding set is unique and beautiful because of what it means to each person.

Ahhh, the romance of the wedding ring.

Unlike any other item of jewelry, it is probably the most expensive ring a person will ever own. As for sentimental value…it is probably priceless.

According to Mindy Thompson of Thompson-Haugen Jewelers of Blue Earth, every wedding set is unique and beautiful because of what it means to each person.

However, there are definitely style trends couples are selecting today.

“The vintage look is probably the most popular style of ring right now,” says Thompson. “It consists of one large diamond surrounded by several bead or prong-set smaller diamonds.”

She says they are still showing a lot of white gold, too. As for men’s rings, titanium and tungsten are the current top picks.

“These two metals are very durable,” says Thompson. “Titanium is very light and the tungsten is a little heavier, but it will not show any scratches.”

Starting at $100, the titanium and tungsten rings are economical choices for couples.

“Whatever a couple wants to spend, we can find a ring in that price range,” adds Thompson.

In the business since 1983, Thompson says the best part of her job is to see a girl’s expression when she is looking at rings and finds the one she loves. But she says the men are often just as expressive. When she sees a smile on their face, she knows they have found the perfect ring and she has helped them make their dream come true.

“About 50 percent of those coming in to select a ring are the men,” says Thompson. “If they are unsure of what their fiance would want, they generally select a solitaire. We can get a solitaire in any size they would like.”

When shopping for a ring, Thompson says every situation is unique in the business.

“Some like to take their time,” she says of ring shoppers. “Then there are those who bring in pictures of rings they have found and like in magazines and others want a ring made to meet their specifications.”

Whatever the scenario, Thompson says if they (Thompson-Haugen Jewelers) don’t have or can’t find what a couple want, they will send a picture or description to their diamond suppliers to find the perfect ring for a couple.

Thompson says buying engagement rings is a year-round thing. She really hasn’t noticed any times when sales in this area spike.

“An engagement ring is a very personal thing,” says Thompson. “It can contain gemstones such as sapphires or even colored diamonds. There are many different colors of diamonds…yellow, blue, black, pink, purple and green. Here, we sell more blue diamonds.”

Other things she says bridal couples should consider when selecting a ring is the clarity of its stones, the cut and the shape.

“There are many different shapes in rings,” says Thompson. “These include round, oval, marquis, emerald and cushion.”

She also says if the cut isn’t in the right proportion the diamond will not sparkle as much.

“We sell quite a few promise rings too,” says Thompson. “These are bands with a diamond melee (small diamond) in them.”

Thompson-Haugen Jewelers also does a lot of restyling or re-setting of stones into new mountings.

To read more of this story, see this week’s Register.